South Shields man jailed after picking up knife and mallet during South Tyneside street disturbance

Daniel Lake picked up a knife and a mallet after they were dropped by another man when trouble broke out at Copley Avenue in South Shields last November.

Newcastle Crown Court heard police had been called by a worried witness who saw the end of the mid afternoon incident.

Lake, of Landseer Gardens, South Shields, who was on a suspended sentence for motoring offences at the time, pleaded guilty to affray.

Prosecutor Barry Robson said it is accept the 29-year-old picked up the weapons during the disturbance to "prevent them being used".

Mr Robson said Lake had been at a friend's house in that street when another man turned up at the address armed with the knife and mallet and was chased off.

The court heard the armed man dropped the weapons and Lake picked them up.

Mr Robson added: "He gesticulated to get him away from the area. He accepts he acted unlawfully by gesticulating."

The court heard two other men were arrested over the incident but faced no further action.

Judge Christopher Prince sentenced Lake to eight months behind bars.

The judge told him: "You acted unlawfully in gesticulating towards him with the items in your hand in a threatening manner.

"That is the full extent of your involvement."

Judge Prince added: "Any picking up of a knife is going to attract a custodial sentence."

The court heard Lake will be released almost immediately due to the time he has spent on remand.

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